West Wall Repairs (2016)
Work on the West wall continued in phases for a bit over four years. We’d get one section done, then move to another project, then come back.
This phase involved the front-most section of the wall and the adjoining bump-out. On this section we
stripped the clapboards off and replaced them
repaired and rebuilt the brackets
repaired damaged sills, siding and soffit
rebuilt a window entablature
Parts of the bracket were missing
Some sheathing needed to be repaired
We decided to replace the clapboards
Shiplap is about the right thickness
Here, the brackets and dentils have been removed, the frieze and moulding have been stripped and some repairs to the fascia have been done. The dentils were discarded and we made new ones, it’s just not worth stripping them.
The brackets went on the workbench. 150 years of crusty old paint.
With new and repaired brackets and new dentils in place, we’re ready to move down the wall.
We started tearing old clapboards off the wall.
By now, we’d acquired a small forest of scaffold.
When we got to the bottom of the wall, we uncovered problems. First,a rotted sill, caused by water damage. Chris replaced part of the sill and sistered the studs.
Next, though it’s hard to see in these photos, the original framers had neglected to put a nailing strip in the inside corner where the wall of the bump-out met the main wall. The sheathing and the clapboards felt “squishy”, which may have contributed to the water infiltration problem. We pulled the sheathing off and I put a nailing strip over the sheathing on the main wall so we could fasten new sheathing tightly.
Finally, the original entablature over the narrow window on the bump-out was too wide, so the builders just put it over the corner board. OK, it lasted for 150 years or so, but it’s still wrong and it created a joint where water could get in, which it did, and rotted the inside of the entablature. Off to the workshop to make a new one (see Building an Entablature).
The first section of wall is ready for clapboard. We used black felt paper underlayment, it’s effective and easy for one person to apply.
Our friend Jay came by to help. With a pro on the job, this section went up in a day and was primed the next.
The rebuilt entablature on the bump-out wall was installed. I saved the brackets. Love the smell of new wood.
Used offset printing plates make good material to cover the top for protection from the weather.
By the end of August, the front section of the West wall was completed, and work had begun on the gable wall of the bump-out.
Gable Wall
On the Gable wall, we
- elected to strip the clapboards rather than replacing them,
- repaired and rebuilt some soffit and brackets,
- stripped or replaced the window mouldings and replaced the dentils in the gable,
- repaired more damaged sills and added insulation under the bump-out
- painted (one oil based primer, one latex primer, two or three top coats).
Stripping old work is a painstaking process. In the center of this picture, you can see that the brackets have been stripped and the soffit and fascia of the return have been repaired.
Here’s a bracket being stripped. I make out at least 9 different paint schemes, starting with deep maroon
This one’s ready to go back on the wall
It can be a long way up, but it’s a great place to work
Underneath the bump-out, we found a problem: another rotted sill..
There was an opening right through into the house. That’s the bottom of the downstairs bathtub. No wonder water froze in it in the winter. Another piece of sill needed to be rebuilt.
Also, as was typical in these buildings, there’s no foundation under the bump-out (it’s supported on iron rods) and no insulation in the floor. We put in 4 inches of polyisocyanurate board.
By the end of October, we still had a ton of scaffold in place, but the first two sections of the wall were finished.